Maxwells 148, Completely Off Your Radar

opinionatedchef is despondent that Maxwells 148 gets no attention. “Sometimes I think there exist black holes in CH land; certain geographical locations that have no resident CHs, or maybe just very few CHs that post. I can only guess that Natick is one of these places because I have never seen Maxwells 148 reviewed on CH except when I reviewed it 3 years ago.” opinionatedchef went back to Maxwells 148 anyway, and another excellent meal was had.

“From the moment we walked in the door to the time we left, we were struck by the welcoming and professional demeanor of all the staff. The atmosphere was one of a humming and well oiled machine, where staff were confident and self assured, knowing that they represent an accomplished kitchen that produces a very relaxed and happy clientele,” says opinionatedchef. “Service was very helpful and efficient; the seating comfortable, and tables well spaced. The room is a very calm one, so conversation is easy.”

Sounds good, but what about the food? It’s a Mediterranean-Asian fusion, which sounds awful but apparently comes off rather well. For starters, opinionatedchef recommends the foie gras torchon poached in Marsala with fig-mango compote ($16), tuna tetaki with a baby spinach–seaweed salad ($13), and the mushroom risotto cake with a wild mushroom, Cognac, and cream sauce ($14). After that came kaffir lime–seared scallops with curried eggplant and peanuts ($26), and Maine lobster cake ($15).

“The only dud was the salmon gravlax; hard and not silky,” says opinionatedchef. The waiter offered a substitute, littleneck clams with Chinese black bean sauce, “juicy, succulent robust sauce with none of the over-salted metallic flavor that sometimes accompanies this dish. In addition, the chef himself came out to apologize and brought with him one of the daily specials.”